Sharing a list of those “live and learn” kinda moments.

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful morning. I have a couple of appointments today and then it’s the mom uber shuffle later this afternoon.

Today, I wanted to chat about something that comes up all the time with clients and in DMs, especially from women who are just getting started with strength training:

“I’m working hard at the gym, but I’m not seeing results.”

I feel this in my soul, because I’ve definitely been there.

When I first started my fitness journey, I was super motivated, consistent… and also making quite a few mistakes that were slowing my progress way down. The tricky part is that a lot of these mistakes are things we’ve been taught to do (especially as women in the early 2000s fitness era… anyone else remember hours on the elliptical? I used to prop my textbook on the elliptical and *study* as a I pedaled my little heart out)

Today I wanted to chat about some of the biggest beginner strength training mistakes I personally made, so you can skip the frustration and start seeing results faster. (lil note: even though I’m a certified personal trainer, Women’s Fitness Specialist and Corrective Exercise Specialist, this is not personalized fitness advice. Check with your doctor before making any changes to your routine.)

Beginner strength training mistakes I made

1. Doing way too much cardio

This was probably my #1 mistake.

I thought the formula was:

Sweat as much as possible = better results

So I’d stack:

Long cardio sessions

Group fitness classes

Maybe a little bit of strength training… as an afterthought.. and I’d use teeny tiny lil weights.

The problem? Too much cardio can actually work against your goals, especially if you’re trying to build muscle, boost metabolism, and change your body composition.

When you’re constantly in a calorie-burning, high-stress state:

– Your body doesn’t prioritize muscle building

– Cortisol can stay elevated

– You can feel constantly depleted (and CRASH in the afternoon)

What I wish I had done instead:

Focus on strength training as the foundation, with cardio as support.

Now, I usually recommend:

3 – 4 days of strength training

1 – 2 days of cardio (or just daily walks + lifestyle movement)

2. Not eating enough (especially protein)

This one is huge and I see it all the time.

Back then, I was:

Under-eating overall

Skipping meals or eating super “light”

Not prioritizing protein at all (I thought one egg was protein and that peanut butter was also protein)

Behold, a 2014 lunch:

Read more

Hi friends!

I have a brand new podcast episode live, and today we are talking all things skin!

I’m sitting down with Dr. Mamina Turegano, a triple board certified dermatologist, internist, and dermapathologist based in New Orleans. In this episode, she’s sharing a really refreshing, integrative take on skin health, the kind you don’t usually get at a regular derm appointment. We get into the topics that are all over social media lately, like whether sunscreen is actually safe, the real deal with Botox, and what habits genuinely make a difference for your skin long term.

Here’s what we chat about:

• The real story behind the sunscreen-causes-cancer claim and what the benzene contamination scare actually was
• Why correlation is not causation when it comes to sunscreen use and skin cancer rates
• The truth about chemical vs. mineral sunscreen and what the FDA actually says
• A dive into Botox and all about the safety data, the reported adverse reactions, and the emerging research on brain health
• Why skincare advancements (hello, peptides) are changing what we actually need procedures for
• The non-negotiable basics every skin routine should include
• What lifestyle factors are aging your skin faster than you think
• The connection between sleep, stress, and skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and hair loss

And so much more!

It was awesome getting to talk to Dr. Mamina and I hope you like listening to it as much as I enjoyed chatting with her! If you’ve ever left a derm appointment with more questions than answers, this episode is for YOU

204: What Your Skin Is Really Telling You | Sunscreen Safety, Botox Risks & Dermatologist-Backed Habits for Healthy Skin with Dr. Mamina Turegano

Read more

Hi friends! Happy Easter weekend and also happy Passover to my friends who are celebrating. I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead! We’re hanging out at the pool – ours is still too cold so it’s nice to have a heated option!- meeting up with friends to watch the U of A game (GO CATS!) and spending Easter with the fam. We’re having Easter brunch at my dad’s and then my mom’s side of the family is coming over here to BBQ for dinner.

(pics from our fave blues and brews brunch at Loew’s this weekend! Dress is from Rent the Runway)

For now, I’m hanging out with my red light, avoiding the laundry pile, and thinking about a last-minute run for Easter supplies.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves roundup! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love hearing about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

4.3 Friday Faves

Fashion, beauty, random:

Ordered these sa

Hi friends! I have a brand new episode live and today I’m joined by a neurosurgeon with some AMAZING insights on brain health, spine health, and really just whole-body healing. Dr. Amir Vokshoor is a board-certified MD and Chief of Surgery at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, and he specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery with a genuinely integrative, whole-body approach to brain and spine health. If you’ve ever dealt with back pain, are thinking about longevity, or just want to keep everything moving well as you get older, I think you’re going to love this one.

Here’s what we chat about:

• Why Dr. Vokshoor’s go-to tagline is “there’s no health without brain health” — and what that actually means for your daily life
• The three key areas of spinal mobility he recommends everyone work on (cervical, thoracic, lumbar – plus hips and ankles!)
• His simple daily movement routine for spinal health that takes just minutes and doesn’t require any equipment
• What minimally invasive spine surgery actually looks like
• How AI is changing his practice right now — including letting him actually touch his patients again during visits
• The promise and honest limitations of peptides
• Why chronic pain becomes a brain disease — and what that means for treatment

And so much more!!

203: Insights of a Neurosurgeon | Peptides, Minimally Invasive Surgery & the Holistic Approach to Healing with Dr. Amir Vokshoor

This episode is a great reminder that your brain health isn’t separate from the rest of your wellness. Whether you’re postmenopausal and thinking about bone health, dealing with chronic pain, or just want to move well a

Sharing a roundup of my favorite reputable health and fitness certifications if you’re considering becoming a wellness professional. Check out all of the details below!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having an amazing week so far! Mine is PACKED with client calls and podcast interviews, but I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing Easter weekend with the fam.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about health and wellness certifications, especially now that I’m working my way through two new ones: High Performance Health and Integrative Health Practitioner Level 3.

I LOVE to learn, and over the past 17 years in the wellness industry, I’ve completed quite a few health and fitness certifications. I won’t recap them all again here (they’re all on the About page!), but I definitely have some favorites.

I figured I’d share my top certification options if you’re considering expanding your knowledge in the health and wellness space, teaching fitness, or pursuing a new career.

Whether you want to coach clients, teach classes, dive into functional health, or simply deepen your own knowledge, there are so many incredible programs out there.

Best Health and Fitness Certifications

One of the biggest questions I get is: Where do I even start?

The answer really depends on your goals.

Do you want to:

Work 1:1 with clients?

Teach fitness classes?

Build an online wellness business?

Or simply learn more for yourself and your family?

I’ve broken this down into a few categories to help you find the best fit.

Health Coach / Functional Practitioner Certifications

If you want to help clients get to the root cause of health imbalances, functional lab testing is the BIGGEST gamechanger.

When you can run labs, analyze them, and recommend appropriate protocols, it’s such an incredible way to serve clients on a deeper level.

(Friendly reminder that we don’t diagnose, prescribe, cure, or treat. We’re looking for deficiencies and toxicities—and how we can support the body back into balance.)

Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP) Institute

This is by far my favorite certification.

I’ve completed Level 1 and Level 2, and I’m currently working through High Performance Health and Level 3. I’m not exaggerating when I say that IHP has completely changed my life.

It’s enabled me to help clients in a much deeper capacity, and I’ve also used the